NYS Sheep and Wool

Descendents of the Dishley Leicester, which was improved by Robert Bakewell, the Bluefaced Leicester evolved near Hexham in Northumberland, England, in the early 1900s. Classified as a longwool type, it is one of three Leicester sheep breeds; English (or Longwool) Leicester, Border Leicester, and Bluefaced Leicester. It has the finest fleece of the Leicester breeds.

The Bluefaced Leicester was originally bred to produce high-quality crossbred ewes from the native Blackface and Swaledale draft ewes. It was found that a darker-colored ram, with a finer skin and wool produced a better crossbred ewe from the Blackfaced hill ewes, a cross traditionally called the "mule." From its original home in the Northern Pennines, the breed spread throughout England, Scotland, and Wales, and into Northern Ireland. Dedicated breeders in the United Kingdom eventually came together and organized The Bluefaced Leicester Sheep Breeders Association. They published their first national flock book in 1964, beginning with sheep registered in 1963.

In the 1970s, a single shipment of sheep was imported into Canada from the United Kingdom. A number of years later, Bluefaced Leicesters arrived in the United States from Nova Scotia. The first preservation efforts began in 1995, when a few breeders in the United States purchased and divided two North American flocks, one from Nova Scotia, the other from Virginia. Sheep from the two flocks were cross-bred until new genetics could be obtained. Growing concern for the breed led to the importation of frozen semen from the United Kingdom to expand the genetic base of the Bluefaced Leicester in the US. In 1997, the first "new blood" since the original importation was introduced into North America.

Following this important milestone, the Bluefaced Leicester Union of North America (BLU) was organized in 1998 to educate, preserve and promote the breed, and support its members. BLU established an official Registry with the 1998 lamb crop. In early 2004, a second association was formed, the Bluefaced Leicester Breeders Association (BFLBA), with its primary focus of education, breed preservation, and promotion. With renewed interest in this magnificent breed, the past decade has seen much positive growth. From a mere handful of sheep, flocks have expanded across the country, there have been several more UK sires collected and imported, and there is an increasing number of registrations from coast to coast. The Bluefaced Leicester is certainly proving itself as a multi-purpose breed; ideal for the purebred sheep breeder and enthusiast, the handspinner and fiber artist, and the commercial producer.

2006 was witness to a new milestone for the breed in the United States; the publication of the first national flock book by the Bluefaced Leicester Union of North America, beginning with sheep registered in 2005.